Improvement in burial-cases



G. W. NASH.

` Improvement in Burial-Cases.

N0. 130,235, Patented Augk 6,1872.

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GEORGE w. NAsH, OE OOEUMBUs, onro, AssrGE'oE'To EiMsELr, GEORGE JAMIsON, yAND WILLIAM JAMIsON, OE sAME rLAoE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BURIAL-CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,235, dated August 6, 1872.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Beit known that I, GEORGE W. NASH, of the rm of Jamison 82; Nash, undertakers,of Columbus, in the county Of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial-Cases, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of anew article of manufacture hitherto unknown to the trade, being a marbleized slate coffin, the slabs which form the sides and ends being held together by marbleized metallic grooved corners and clamped by screws outside of said grooves, the top and bottom being secured by s crews to horizontal flanges of said corners; the new article thus madebeing cheap,highly Ornamental and durable, and the fastening-screws arranged to clamp the slate slabswithout liability to fracture them, which is amatter of vital consequence in the use of slate slabs for such purposes.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section of a burial-casket made of marbleized-slate slabs and constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 8 represents a vertical cross-section of the same, showing the inner wooden side slabs or case for the attachment and security of the han dles and the interior linings ofthe casket 5 and Fig. 4 represents a view in perspective of one of the connecting and bracing standards.

' The burial-case is made of slabs of slate, the outer surfaces of the sides, ends, top, and lid of which are marbleized after a well-known process of producing a surface inimitation of marble. These slabs are made of a thickness to be sufficiently strong for the purpose. The side and end slabs are secured together by metallic corners B, into the vertical grooves d of which the edges of these parts are fitted, as shown in Fig. 2. They are made concave on their inner and outer vertical sides to render them as light as possible; their grooves, however, are barely suiiicient to form a hold for the edges of the slabs, so that the holding-screws c shall pass only through the inner iian ges b, while the heads of the screws have their bearings uponthe slabs by the side of the outer bead a of the groove. This is highly important, because if the screw- Shanks passed through thin slabs with their bearing upon the outer ironiiange of the groove the slabs would be constantly liable to crack or fracture; but, by having the outer side of the groove d shorter than the inner side, the slab is clamped between the ange b and the heads of the screws c,`thus affording a rm supporting and clamping surface for the edges of the slabs, whichcould not be obtainedwith the same degree of security and firmness if the slabs'were clamped between two unyielding iianges, andsupported only upon the shanks of the screws. The bottom slab F is plain slate and secured to the under side of horizontal iianges e, on the lower ends ofthe metallic corners, by means of screws e2, so that the heads thereof support and clamp the slab directly to the under side of the iiange e, as shown in Fig. 1. The screws which fasten the bottom thus afford the same protection from fracturing the slate as just described. The top E is made of asingle slab,having an opening in the example shown of sufficient length to expose nearlythe length of the body, and provided with an ornamental bead, forming a border to said opening. It is secured in place by screws g, passing through it into horizontal flanges e1 formed on the upper ends of the metallic corners, so that the heads of the screws may be clamped directly upon' the slate or upon metallic ornamental plates which 'form an outer bearing. The openin g in the top is provided with a slate lid, F, having handles, h, by which it may be easily lifted oif and replaced at pleasure.

The slate casket thus made would afford no proper hold for the handles by which to lift and handle it, as the side slabs would be too frail and insecure of themselves to render the handle fastenings secured to them strong enough. To obviate this difficulty and disadvantage I arrange, upon the inner side of the slate slabs, a wooden slab or case, D, so as to iit closely the interior space of the casket, and the Shanks of the screws f, which secure the handles C, pass through the slate slabs into these wooden sides D, while their heads are clamped against the ornamental shields of the handle, and thus transfer the strain from the frail slate slabs to the inner wooden slabs and form a safe and secure hold for the handles. The wooden sides Or case also serve another and highly advantageous purpose in aifordin g Vmeans for securing the inner linings of thev casket, which could not be obtained from the' the lower flange e for the bottom is above the' lower end of the corner standard B the thickness of the bottom slab, so that the latter will be ush with the ends of said corner standards.

Having described my invention, I claim- `A burial-case, as a new article'of manufacture and trade, made of marbleized slabs of slate secured together by marbleized metallic corners, having grooves constructed as herein described, and secured by screws which clamp and hold them without liability to fracture their ledges, as described.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of November, A. D. 1871, in the 'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. NASH.

Witnesses: Y

(l. A. BOWE, WM. J AMIsoN. 

